Covers of the three booklets Bright Young Girl in the Abyss of a Poisonous Snake, vol. 3
- Date:
- 1880
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
Three booklet covers from a serialized thriller — "Bright Young Girl in the Abyss of a Poisonous Snake, vol. 3" — revealing Chikanobu's extensive work as a cover illustrator for the popular fiction publications that proliferated in Meiji Japan. Illustrated booklet covers required eye-catching images that conveyed the genre — romance, adventure, supernatural horror — at a glance, and Chikanobu's involvement in this market demonstrates his fluency across multiple commercial formats. The snake and young girl combination promises precisely the transgressive excitement that popular fiction delivered.
Meiji period, dated October 10, 1896
Woodblock print in "ōban" format; ink and color on paper
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Woodblock print
Covers of the three booklets Bright Young Girl in the Abyss of a Poisonous Snake, vol. 3 was created by Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延) in 1880.
Covers of the three booklets Bright Young Girl in the Abyss of a Poisonous Snake, vol. 3 depicts children and animals.
Covers of the three booklets Bright Young Girl in the Abyss of a Poisonous Snake, vol. 3 measures 17.2 × 34.6 cm (Oban format).
